Questions about chia seeds.

I have been reading a lot of good things about chia seeds and would like to add them to my diet. I had a few questions that I could not find answers to and was wondering if anyone knew...
Are chia seeds considered a grain and if so are we limited on SB?
One site claimed that they could be dehydrating, any truth to this?
Can they be used like flax and added to dishes or is it best to soak them and add them to beverages?

Hi! Check out the Chia Chat thread for ideas how to use the seeds. [ETA: I saw Karen posted the same link while I was writing...]

I can't remember if they discussed limitations, but I personally think that it would be hard to eat too many, they are so filling. One tablespoon in a glass of liquid lasts me all day. But I guess 1 serving would be the limit (on my bag, 2 Tablespoons is a serving).

I haven't cooked with them yet, just added them to a drink. Which by the way entertains people to no end as it looks like a bunch of fish or tadpole eggs floating in your drink!

I don't know about the dehydration factor. Maybe they mean if you eat them dry, they plump up inside of you and thus would absorb some liquid. But if they are already plumped, it seems like this effect wouldn't exist. Just a guess. I did a quick search and most of the articles I skimmed actually said that the seeds help *prevent* dehydration. I'm not endorsing this site, but this is what came up first.

__________________

Mini-goal #4 (ala Beck Diet Solution): Lose 5 pounds AGAIN. Start date: July 20,2015 (last time took 60 days)LABOR DAY CHALLENGE: Just stick to IP (Started 4/29) until Labor Day, no weight goal. Start exercising daily, even if it is just walking.